“Azg” says a large part of Armenia’s population is “not represented at all in the parliament” and this fact will have important repercussions for the country’s political life. “The intellectual stratum of our people does not sympathize with the Republican Party and its leaders, does not and did not believe in Orinats Yerkir’s tricks, abhors and is scared of the prospect of Dashnaktsutyun coming to power, does not attribute any messianic mission to Artashes Geghamian and his organization, does not want to be duped by the adventurers from the Artarutyun bloc,” the paper claims. “As a result, more than 160,000 intellectuals…have found themselves on the sidelines of the national political life.”

In an interview with “Iravunk,” the Republican Party’s parliamentary leader, Galust Sahakian, defends powerful individuals with notorious nicknames who are often portrayed by the media as criminal elements. Sahakian says many of them are real patriots who fought in Nagorno-Karabakh and are now successful businessmen. “Not to mention the fact that they support hundreds of families and are able to occupy a certain position in the society,” he says. Sahakian insists that this year’s elections did not strengthen the criminal underworld. As for the recent wave of killings, the Republican leaders says it is “the entire society,” not the police, which is responsible for them. Such killings are dangerous because they “have a great impact on the people.”

“Hayots Ashkhar” says rumors were circulating in Yerevan this week about an attempt on the life of millionaire businessman Samvel Aleksanian. They turned out to be false. Incidentally though, businesses belonging to Samvel Aleksanian were closed for several days.

“Aravot” quotes human rights campaigner Vartan Harutiunian as accusing Prosecutor General Aram Tamazian of “justifying” the recent high-profile killings with arguments that more people used to be murdered in Armenia in the early 1990s. Harutiunian says the recent killings were not ordinary ones. Hence, their broad public resonance.

“We journalists are often rebuked that we do not want to see anything good and only enjoy exaggerating various kinds of shortcomings and negative phenomena, while the country is experiencing an upswing unheard of,” “Hayots Ashkhar” comments sarcastically. “The sun is shining, rain is falling, fruit is maturing, the dollar is strengthening and the pensions will soon be raised by as much as 300 drams. These are the times when one should see good things in every area. Whatever happens…you should hold your nerve, look attentively and find the good thing. If you don’t find, you will be a bad guy, an enemy of reforms and progress.”